Matt Metzgar

The Egoscue Method

I have been reading a book about the "Egoscue Method".  It is a method of realigning the body to eliminate pain.  Apparently, this method has been used by many top athletes and has a high success rate.

I enjoy the book's premise, that the body is designed to be healthy over a long lifespan.  The author believes that many of today's common surgeries, such as hip replacements, are unnecessary.  Instead, Egoscue proposes a set of exercises to treat various painful conditions.  The exercises generally consist of holding proper positions and letting gravity do the work as far as aligning the posture.

Although I have been experimenting with a few exercises, it's too early for me to tell if they are effective.  Once I finish the book, I will perform the exercises more consistently and see how things go.

A Day Without Food

I started feeling a bit ill late Friday, so I decided to do a water-only fast on Saturday.  Generally, animals fast when ill, and I try to follow this model.  I also skipped breakfast and lunch on Sunday, and so I ended up going without food for around 40 hours. 

This is interesting for me, because a few years ago I wouldn't have been comfortable going without food for this long.  I wouldn't have voluntarily have gone without food for a day, and not when I was ill, either.  However, this fast was fairly painless, as I didn't have much of an appetite over the weekend to begin with.

It's amazing what the body can do when it has to.  I've read research on subjects doing a water-only fast for 30 days without any negative effects (not that I would recommend this!).  When food isn't available, the body simply draws energy from stored body fat and other sources.